Prevalence of cataract surgery and post-surgical visual outcomes in an urban Asian population: the Singapore Malay Eye Study.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to describe the prevalence and visual outcomes of cataract surgery in an urban Asian population.


METHODS
This was a population-based study of 3280 Singapore Malays aged 40-80 years (response rate 78.7%). Participants had a standardised interview and comprehensive ocular examination. Poor post-operative visual outcome was defined as visual acuity </=20/60 in operated eyes of unilateral cataract extractions or in the better-seeing eye of bilateral cataract extractions. Factors associated with poor visual outcome were assessed.


RESULTS
Of 3280 participants, 284 (men 52.3%) had unilateral cataract extractions (age-standardised prevalence 4.7%, 95% CI 4.2% to 5.4%) and 154 persons (54%) had bilateral extractions. Older age, male sex and the presence of diabetes were significant factors associated with having had cataract surgery. Poor visual outcomes were present in 10.8% of the operated eyes using best-corrected visual acuity. Diabetic retinopathy (25.5%), glaucoma (17%), age-related macular degeneration (14.9%) and posterior capsular opacification (14.9%) were the main causes of poor visual outcome after surgery. Under-corrected refractive error accounted for 60% of patients with post-operative presenting visual acuity of </=20/60.


CONCLUSIONS
Five per cent of the sample of the Malay population aged 40-80 years in Singapore had cataract surgery. One in ten had post-operative best-corrected visual acuity of 20/60 or worse, largely related to concomitant retinal diseases.
Lavanya
R
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Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne, 32 Gisborne Street, East Melbourne, VIC 3002 Australia. jiejw@unimelb.edu.au
Wong
T Y
TY
Aung
T
T
Tan
D T H
DT
Saw
S-M
SM
Tay
W T
WT
Wang
J Jin
JJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014792:Visual Acuity